By Milcah Tanimu
In the current climate, a sense of anxiety pervades the nation, urging caution in travel plans. Kidnappers seem to have unleashed a wave of terror across regions, sparing neither the North nor the South, with both the West and the East feeling the ominous impact.
The fear of falling victim to kidnappers has become a prevailing concern, prompting individuals to exercise heightened vigilance. This perilous trend is drawing closer day by day, affecting individuals across various sectors. Even clergy members find themselves targeted, alongside traditional leaders, farmers, and unsuspecting travelers. The threat extends to those within the safety of their homes, leaving no one exempt from the pervasive fear.
During a recent Sunday service at my church, two worshippers shared harrowing tales of narrowly escaping armed assailants during the testimony segment. Their accounts struck a chord of fear among the congregation, particularly as they described an incident on the notorious Lagos-Ibadan Expressway—a route many of us navigate daily.
The first storyteller, visibly shaken, wiped away tears as he recounted his experience. Traveling from Ibadan to Lagos in a commercial bus, their journey took a nightmarish turn upon reaching the Ogere section of the expressway. Armed hoodlums had seized control of the busy highway in broad daylight, creating chaos. As fellow passengers scrambled to exit the vehicle amid indiscriminate gunfire, he found himself among the last to disembark. Miraculously, he escaped unharmed, despite the gunmen firing at close range.
In the aftermath, he claimed that over 50 individuals, including at least five from his bus, were abducted—contrary to media reports citing only five victims. The grim reality is that many kidnapping cases go unreported or are downplayed, not due to negligence on the part of journalists, but rather families opting for discreet resolutions to safeguard their loved ones in captivity. These families may choose to negotiate and pay ransoms without involving authorities they may not trust.
The prevailing challenges in addressing criminal activities in the country, as illustrated by personal experiences, highlight the difficulty in combating such threats. As Nigerians grapple with economic hardships and rising living costs, the added burden of fear from kidnappings compounds an already challenging situation.
It is imperative that governments at all levels fulfill their primary responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, as the people’s tolerance for living at the mercy of criminals wanes. The onus lies on authorities to quell this rising tide of criminality and ensure the safety and security of the populace.